Vehicles incorporate center consoles having compartments therein for storing various objects such as keys, spare change, mobile phones, wallets, etc. The compartments are generally cubic and store the objects as in a simple box. Some compartments, however, utilize covers to create different levels inside the main compartment to subdivide the compartment.
The compartments are simple to use in that a vehicle operator can access the content of the compartment by pressing a latch release mechanism and raising a lid. Once open, object(s) may be placed inside the compartment or retrieved from the compartment and the lid returned to a closed, latched position. While this provides adequate storage space for the vehicle operator's chosen items, selecting a desired object from among the several objects stored in the compartment can be challenging while operating the vehicle. Even with the use of covers to create levels within the compartment, objects tend to move about freely dependent upon their weight and the manner in which the vehicle is operated. In other words, even careful placement of an object in one position within the compartment or on a cover does not ensure that the object will remain in the same position such that the object could be easily retrieved.
While a front vehicle passenger can devote full attention to the retrieval of an object from the compartment, the lack of suitable subdivisions and movement and mixing of objects within the compartment can still make retrieval difficult. The same is true for a rear vehicle passenger. In fact, the retrieval of objects from the compartment is even more difficult for the rear vehicle passenger. With the compartment lid in an open or raised position, the rear passenger's view is at least partially obscured and access to the compartment is limited by the open lid.
More important than the struggles of the vehicle's front and rear passengers, however, are the struggles of the vehicle operator in attempting to retrieve an object from the compartment while operating the vehicle. In these instances, the vehicle operator is often required to divert their attention from all aspects of driving to look into the compartment to locate a desired object for retrieval. Diverting the vehicle operators' attention even for a brief moment can result in a distracted driver which increases the danger to the distracted driver, other drivers on the road or highway, or nearby pedestrians. Even were the vehicle operator disciplined enough to keep their eyes on the road while attempting to retrieve an object from the compartment, they remain preoccupied with the task of finding and identifying the desired object while rummaging around within the compartment. Such rummaging action can also result in the vehicle operator damaging one or more objects stored in the compartment and/or being harmed by contact with a sharp or broken object.
Accordingly, a need exists for a center console compartment that is capable of separating objects into separate subcompartments for easy retrieval. As the objects typically stored in the compartment do not generally vary from day to day, the size of the subcompartments could be chosen by the vehicle operator to accommodate those known objects. Ideally, changing the size of the subcompartments would be easily accomplished by the vehicle operator when the vehicle is not being operated.
To accommodate retrieval of the objects stored in the subcompartments, the subcompartments could be individually identified and the compartment could rotate to provide access to a selected subcompartment. Access to the object(s) within the selected subcompartment could be through an aperture created by opening of a compartment lid or door. In order to ensure access to the subcompartment by the vehicle operator and passengers in the front and rear seats, the compartment door could slide into a wall of the center console or compartment so as not to block a line of sight of any of the vehicle occupants. Even more, individually identifying the subcompartments could be done using the vehicle's infotainment system or similar system and rotating the compartment to provide access to a selected subcompartment can likewise be achieved in a hands-free manner using one or more of the vehicle's systems.